Brummet's Conscious Blog

 -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Today we've lined up a very special World of Writing episode for you on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show, offering tips and resources and quotes from many different writers who offer their thoughts on the industry.  The show will air live (as always) at 10-11 AM Pacific - and will have the chat room open for our live listeners. Of course, the show will be archived so anyone who can't make the live broadcast can still access the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/07/31/world-of-writing-with-lillian-brummet   Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!    

-- Quote of the Day -- “…So there is no perfect choice… take peat for instance - a natural product harvested in Canada and Europe (and a few other places)… and when starting seeds it prevents damp off disease ( a fungus) …it is technically renewable – yet we consider it as a non-renewable product since it takes about a thousand years for a peat bog to grow a single yard of peat. …so we’ve come up with other things like coir – made from the outside of coconut shells, and rice hulls – But then you get people talking about the fact there is machinery used to harvest and convert these. …The better thing would be to not take things out of nature and hope that it gets replenished. Coir and rice hulls are things that we would have thrown away, so they are good alternatives to look at. ”   ~ Chris McLaughlin Today's quote was excerpted from a Sunday Gardening episode that featured Chris as a guest - She offered some fantastic advice about composting and greening...

 -- Quote of the Day -- "What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents."  ~ Robert Kennedy -- Conscious Living Events -- Here are a couple of conscious living events happening this weekend to watch out for in California (USA): Zero Waste San Diego will be hosting a Reuse and Repair Fair for the San Diego Community in conjunction with the California Resource Recovery Association Annual Conference . Location : Loews Coronado Bay Resort  When : July 31st, 10am -4pm Info : Zerowastesandiego.org GRRN 2011 National Zero Waste Activist Conference Location : San Diego Urban Corps in San Diego, California (USA) When : July 30 Info : I have no info on this event other than it being a one-day of environmental training and networking opportunities   Find Dave a...

 -- Quote of the Day -- "Look not back in anger, nor forward in fear - but around you in awareness." ~ Ross Hersey -- Positive Eco-News -- We hear a lot of bad news about the vehicle industry - but there are a lot of in-house changes going on in vehicle manufacture operations to celebrate.  While there are likely many other vehicle manufacturers offering green options and green in-house activities, I'd like to highlight one that I read recently about in the Recycling Product Newsletter that a Volvo Truck can have as much as 1/3 of it’s weight in recycled metals. Some of the best and usable parts are sold, others are separated in bins for iron, aluminum, plastics, copper, brass and the like. They say that not one bolt or piece of wire, not one scrap of a used truck goes to the landfill when it hits their recycling centers. In doing so they’ve been able to refine the manufacturing of new trucks to eliminate time or labor issues involved in ...

-- Quote of the Day -- “…I started tutoring kids when I was in college and I found that I just enjoyed being involved with them. …My first teaching job involved working with a class of 5 year olds and I got in trouble for being too creative with the kids. – And my attitude was ‘Why cant we teach them organically as things of interest comes up?’ I had to do the exact same thing with them every day and they were bored out of their minds. …For me, the one-size-fits all in education just doesn’t work, because nobody is the same. …[Teaching them] how to learn, instead of what to learn – and they will know how to learn for the rest of their lives. …Honoring who the kids are as people. ”  ~ Kristen Johnson Today's quote originates from the May 10th interview titled Arts & Youth .  *Access the archived Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show at your convenience by clicking on the hyperlinked show title. -- Positive Eco-News -- Now here is so...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Happiness grows at our own firesides, and is not to be picked in stranger's gardens." ~ Douglas Jerrod -- Brummets in the Media -- Check out the prerecorded interview (recorded back in June) published yesterday: about starting a business for less than $1,000. The Brian and Lee show helps listeners think smarter, minimize risk, and learn the basics of business start-up.  Via: http://BrianandLeeShow.com   - check out the prerecorded interview published on July 25th, with Lillian Brummet:  http://brianandleeshow.com/the-brian-and-lee-show-episode-14/   -- Listener Feedback -- A member of our audience wrote to share some more tips for green business and green transportation in particular - they suggested the possibility of a business using an electric or hybrid car fleet, or the possibility of using old oil from local fast food outlets, cafes and restaurants for vehicle fleet fuel. Great ideas ! Thanks for sharing, An...

  -- World of Writing -- As many of our readers are aware we like to have occasional interviews with other writers, who can offer interesting insight into the career. Today we have Susan Ross - a former elementary teacher. She has self-published four books: The Great Bellybutton Cover-up. Say Please to the Honeybees, The Kit Kat Caper, and The Rose and the Lily . Susan writes with a sense of adventure, with a humorous edge – but also with a legacy in mind; her passion is to leave special life messages within each book. For instance in the latest release, The Rose and the Lily , Susan shows that character is more important that physical beauty. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, Nathan, and a menagerie of animals. Visit her anytime at: www.susanross.ca   Q: Tell us something about yourself.  I have a great sense of humor (slightly dark). I am an animal lover. I presently live with a teeny, tiny dog, a bunny (which was dumped at the side of th...

-- Quote of the Day -- “… I like to water in the morning, because the water has a chance to soak in the soil, and if the leaves or stems get wet – they will have a chance to dry off before the cool of evening sets in. …Succession crops involves planting the same crop a week or two apart to allow for succession harvest – it allows you to extend the garden, grow more. …and you have more ability to go with the seasons. …It is just a great way for gardeners to harvest what they can eat that week, without being overwhelmed. ..and it is really good if you are doing open-pollinated plants and  you want to save the seed because you can stagger the crops so that they flower at different times – keeping the seed pure .”  ~ Sheri Ann Richerson Today's quote originates from the May 8th Sunday Gardening episode featuring Sheri Ann Richerson as our special guest. -- Reusing Plastics -- An assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at ...

 -- Quote of the Day -- " How come the dove gets to be the peace symbol? How about the pillow? It has more feathers than the dove, And it doesn't have that dangerous beak! " ~ Jack Handey ( Deep Thoughts ) -- Green Upgrades Pay Off -- Kudos to Trail’s Aquatic and Leisure center (BC, Canada) who’s upgrades - including the heat pump for the pool, the lighting, and also in the ventilation and air conditioning system - is expected to provide $52,000 in energy savings per year. ...enough to pay for the upgrades.   Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!

-- Quote of the Day -- “… We just want to encourage everybody in all types of situations – youth with one or two parents, those who are on their own, people who have finished college, people who don’t have a job… Some of these people have been told that their dreams will not make them successful, but by telling them [this] …it makes them think that pursuing these things, they won’t be happy – and that is just not true. …We don’t want anybody to quit pursuing their education, but we do want to give them the extra experience [of working in the arts as a professional] . ”  ~ Quiana Green Today's quote originates from the interview titled: Inner City Youth - which aired back on May 3 via the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show – with Quiana Green -- Green Arts -- Yesterday we talked about green transportation, green business and different shades of green involved in future energy sources... Today I'd like to focus on how green the arts can be. ...

-- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Today's guest on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show is Chip Haynes - an artist, writer, cyclist, juggler and devoted husband. His non-fiction writing projects tend to focus on exploring bicycling, green living, and our future with less oil. Chip’s fiction allows him to explore novel, short story and stage play writing… and some songwriting mixed in there too. I’ve personally had the honor of reading his book – Peak of the Devil: 100 Q-and-A’s about Peak Oil... and we'll learn a little about this project as well. The interview goes live at 10-11 AM Pacific and a live chat room will be available for live listeners. *Every episode is also archived indefinitely so you can access today's show later on at your convenience via the same link below: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/07/21/the-energy-dilema -- Referral Corner -- One of the more recent discussions on the radio show with a featured guest offered a...

--  World of Writing -- I’d like to start with a shout out to Kat Sanborn, Editorial Associate with Cleis Press and Viva Editions ( VivaEditions.com ) for sending a query our way for today’s featured guest. Judy Ford is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and maintains a psychotherapy practice in Kirkland, Washington. She is also a best selling author, mother, friend, and inspirational role model. She has been studying love and relationships for over three decades specializing in love, loss and the things that matter most. With compassion and candor, her work speaks to the heart, inspiring us to love life, to persevere through its challenges and to share our gifts with others. Her books include: Every Day Love: The Delicate Art of Caring for Each Other - Wonderful Ways to Love a Child - Wonderful Ways to Love a Teen - Single: The Art of Being Satisfied - Fulfilled and Independent - Between Mother and Daughter. Q: Who inspired you to pursue a career in writing? ...

-- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show -- Today, July 19th, we'll be focusing on Volunteering, in the genre of Youth and Writing - Our featured guest, Anne Jones, is the author of at least 7 books that I know of and has a sincere passion for inspiring others. One of the tools that she uses is writing, which she says helps her clients to reach their dreams and heal their lives. She specialized in working with at-risk students for thirty-one years, teaching in a variety of school settings, and has been a volunteer mediator, a rape crisis counselor, victim-witness assistant, volunteer probation officer, public relations writer, and more.  Join us live at 10-11 AM -pacific- and drop in the live chat room as well if you can, or access the archived episode at your convenience later on via the link below:     http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/07/19/volunteering-writing-youth -- Brummet's in the Media -- Join me live wit...

-- Quote of the Day -- “… You can see all different kinds of bees with every flush of flowers (throughout the year). Bees see in UV – so red is not the most popular color, blue, orange, yellow, and white are the hot colors if you are a bee. …What we can do …in our own little small lots… like people with an apartment with only one flowering basket… you can make ensure that you have a range of different plants that flower at different times, having hummingbird feeders… there are many different things we can do. …Bees will pollinate on rooftop gardens, which are more than 20 feet in the air, and are becoming more popular. (Gardeners can) ensure there is adequate pollen from February to early November, plan for pollinators by giving them a strip of undisturbed south-facing sandy-silty soil… or leave a snag (old log) in the landscaping for them to nest in, and stop using pesticides .” ~ Nathalie Chambers Today's quote originates from the May 1st Sunday Garden epis...

-- Quote of the Day --  " Man, being the servant and interpreter of nature, can do and understand so much - and so much only as he has observed in fact or in thought of the course of nature. "  ~ Sir Francis Bacon -- Green Youth -- What a cool life today’s kids must have with all the programs and information at their fingertips – we sure didn’t have fossil finding, days in nature or extra adventures – although Dave did, he remembers going on ski trips and going on an archeological trip once. You know, I was really jazzed up after reading about thea program going on with Brent Kennedy Elementary school where students and instructors from the local college met with more than 40 grade 2 & 3 students to learn about rocks and bones. How cool is that?! In several local papers I've seen announcements about wild kid programs, wildlife programs, gardening programs... lots of extra curricular activities to get involved in this Summer - most of th...

-- Quote of the Day --  "A man is measured by the size of the things that anger him" ~ Geof Greenleaf -- Positive Eco-News -- Tokyo Gas Co., a major gas supplier in Japan, and Bio Energy Corp., a food recycling plant operator, announced on January 26, 2011, that they started feeding biogas refined and processed from food waste into the city pipeline system, ahead of all other companies in Japan. Approximately 800,000 cubic meters of gas (under standard conditions)--enough to accommodate about 2,000 ordinary households--will be fed into the pipeline system annually. This is expected to reduce about 1,360 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.   *Source: Japanfs.org   Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as w...

-- Quote of the Day -- "The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it." ~ Albert Einstein -- Referral Corner -- Many of you are familiar with this section of our blog... this is where you can find interesting and informative recommended resources for living a positive, proactive life. Wind Simplicity: According to their site - “ Most wind turbines are based on 30-year-old technology and it was time for a change, ” says Dr Mathieu, Wind Simplicity President and Inventor. “ There was definitely a niche for wind turbines no greater than 100 kW that would be more adaptable to different locations. The Windancer is different to Megawatt wind turbines. Although the Windancer is smaller, it’s much more efficient than those models .”  Info : http://www.windsimplicity.ca The Heroes Project: This organization works very hard to change public perception and ...

-- Quote of the Day --    "When we are angry or depressed in our creativity, we have misplaced our power. We have allowed someone else to determine our worth, and then we are angry at being undervalued."  ~ Julia Cameron     -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Erika Oliver is joining us today on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show – she is the award-winning author of at least 4 books, and she hosts workshops within this genre of seeking happiness in life as well. Today we are going to learn about counteracting negative thinking and negative conversations. We are also going to learn some tips for people on the front line of illness such as nurses and caregivers. As a Positive Approach Coach - and recovering pessimist - Erika tells me she is all about saving personal energy and that through speaking, training, and coaching she is able to help people choose a positive approach to family, co-worker relationships, personal health. Ca...

 -- Chatter -- Well, this time of the month is a bit of a crunch in that I'll spend the next 3 days buried in the office doing the behind the scenes preparations for the upcoming Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show episodes airing in August. The Brummet's Muse newsletter is also due to go out on the 15th, so the office work will be heavy for a few days, and I beg the patience of all the people emailing, etc - we'll be back to normal after the 15th :)  Towards the end of next month we'll have some changes both to our website and the newsletter will also undergo some changes, so watch for those announcements. We'll also have another contest coming up on this blog in August... Lots of informative guests coming on the blog... So much, really, is going on this Summer and into Fall - which is pretty exciting for us since we've been planning and working on this for so long - and of course we'll let you know about each of these as they come about...